The announcement follows an intense campaign by Mercy For Animals against the retail giant, including six hidden-camera videos (http://bit.ly/WalmartInvestigations) taken by MFA exposing extreme animal abuse at Walmart pork suppliers across the country, more than 150 protests at Walmart stores nationwide, full-page newspaper ads, mobile billboards circling the Walmart headquarters in Arkansas, 640,000 petition signatures on Change.org, and A-list celebrity support from Joaquin Phoenix, Ryan Gosling, Sia, Pamela Anderson, Emily Deschanel, and more.

Citing the “five freedoms”—a set of ethical imperatives for farmed animal welfare—Walmart has committed to ending many of the cruelest forms of institutionalized animal abuse in its supply chain, including the intensive confinement of pregnant pigs in gestation crates, baby calves in veal crates, and egg-laying hens in battery cages. Walmart is also working to end needless mutilations of animals without painkillers, such as castration, tail docking, and dehorning, and is moving toward less cruel slaughter methods.

This is one of the most comprehensive animal welfare policies ever, signaling an important new era and direction for the company and marking a landmark day for the protection of farmed animals in America. With Walmart’s announcement, it’s never been clearer that the days are numbered for many of the factory farming industry’s cruelest practices. Let’s keep up the momentum! Here’s how:

1. Donate now to help us achieve even more important victories for farmed animals: http://bit.ly/DonateforFarmedAnimals.2. If pigs don’t deserve to be crammed into cramped cages, birds don’t either. Send a polite email to Costco CEO W. Craig Jelinek, asking him to eliminate cruel battery cages for hens throughout the company’s supply chain: cjelinek@costco.com.3. Visit http://ChooseVeg.com for healthy and humane vegan recipes and helpful tips on going vegan.

THANK YOU to everyone who participated in our Walmart campaign over the last three years. This historic animal welfare policy announcement wouldn’t have been possible without your support.